'Chennai Express' producer remanded to judicial custody in rape case

A city court here on Saturday sent Bollywood producer Karim Morani to judicial custody for 14 days in a rape case.

Morani surrendered to police late on Friday night in connection with the alleged rape of a 25-year-old aspiring actress, hours after the Supreme Court dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail.

The Chennai Express producer surrendered at the Hayathnagar police station on the city's outskirts around midnight. He was formally placed under arrest.

Morani was later produced before a magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody till October 6. He was lodged in Cherlapally jail on the city outskirts.

The Delhi-based woman alleged that Morani raped her on the pretext of marrying her. She alleged that Morani took her nude pictures and videos and sexually exploited her by threatening to post the same on social media.

The police had booked him in January on charges of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and cheating.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Morani's petition challenging the Hyderabad High Court's verdict cancelling his bail. The apex court directed him to surrender.

The High Court on September 5 had upheld the decision of the sessions court cancelling Morani's bail.

Morani was booked for cheating, rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of marriage under the Indian Penal Code.

The complainant alleged that Morani raped her in Mumbai and also at a film studio in Hyderabad in 2015 after promising to marry her.

The woman, who had done her Bachelor of Business Management (BBA) from Delhi, said she had met Morani through his daughter, who was also a theatre artiste in Mumbai.

The producer, however, had denied the allegations. Morani said the complaint was filed with the sole intention of tarnishing his reputation and image.

The producer's name had also figured as an accused in the 2G spectrum scam. He was accused of helping channel funds to the tune of Rs 200 crore to popular Tamil television channel Kalaignar TV.